Strip material puller



July 10, 1956 A. WEINKLE ETAL 2,754,114

STRIP MATERIAL FULLER Filed May 8, 1950 I N V EN TORS AJRAH/IM WE/NALEA/VO BY M51? row A. 5/6004 A O -WEX A. WEINKLE ETAL STRIP MATERIAL FULLER .3 Sheets-Shae t. 2

IN V EN TORS ABRAHAM WE/A/AL EA/VD BY M51970 ,4. 5/6004 July 10, 1956 Filed May a, 1950 y 1956 A. WEINKLE EAL 2,754,114

STRIP MATERIAL FULLER Filed May 8, 1950 .3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

f o O A wI ENTORS Q. lN/(LE AND f0 BRA/MM 5 BY MER TON/4. 5/GO0A gllln 84 2 80 m 2 80 I W 1 "9b W ATTOlP/VEX United States Patent'O STRIP MATERIAL PULLER Abraham Weinkle, Hempstead, and Merton A. Sigoda, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Man-Sew Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 8, 1950, Serial No. 160,621 7 Claims. (Cl. 2712.3)

This invention relates to an automatic apparatus for feeding strip materials such as lace, tape, edging, gimp, looping, piping or cording from a supply reel to the operator of a sewing machine in accordance with consumption thereof in the course of sewing together garments such as feminine apparel in the nature of slips, nightgowns or the like.

Such strip materials may be applied for ornamentation to various parts of such garments, as for example, the bottom edge of a slip or along the neckline, etc. These strip materials are supplied on spools, rolls, carded or sometimes in bulk. Usually, that which is supplied on cards or in bulk is rewound on a spool or reel as there are in use supports for spools or reels which can be mounted in the vicinity of the sewing machine and from which the strip may be unwound.

The operator unwinds a small quantity by hand, and after this free quantity is consumed by application to the work, a further quantity is unwound. If too much is unreeled, the strip may reach the floor and become soiled, tangled or snarled, or occasionally caught on some projecting part of the machine, etc.

A careful operator will therefor usually rewind the excess to avoid such difiiculties. To obtain a balance between demand and supply, the operator is required to unwind and rewind the reel frequently.

Many of the strip materials synthetic fibres, such as, typically, nylon, which are thermoplastic. In producing the rolls of such strip materials, the supplier finds it convenient to wind a wide roll, which is then parted into smaller sections of suitable width by means of slitting knives. The friction exerted in this severing action is sufiicient to cause the edges of the strip to fuse between the layers which makes it necessary to separate the layers in unwinding the roll.

Such distractions lower the productivity of the operator. In these days of high production requirements management makes every effort to reduce or eliminate nonprod-uctive operations.

This has led to the use of various types of supported spools or unwinding reels, some of which have been provided with anti-friction bearings. These are not effective because the diameter of the spool or reel becomes smaller continually as the strip is unwound and the resistance to unwinding not only changes, but increases to such an extent that too much tension may be placed on the strip material being applied.

This is not solved by using motorized spools. If the motor operates at a constant rate of speed, it unwinds too much at first and not enough later on, as the diameter of the spool changes. The sewing machine is not operated either constantly or at a fixed rate of speed as this is governed by the intricacy of the work. The operator is therefor required to control the motor operation constantly to equalize supply and demand, and little is thereby gained.

I It is therefore a purpose of this invention to provide an automatic puller or feeding device for such strip matenow being supplied are rials which will furnish a constant supply in proportion to the demand therefor. This is accomplished by driving the apparatus only when the sewing machine operates and only at a rate in proportion to the speed of operation of the sewing machine. Hence, the operator need give no other attention to the puller than to adjust it to set the feed rate which will supply the strip in proportion to the demand therefor.

It is therefor a further object to provide in such apparatus an easily accessible means which can be manipulated to adjust the amount of feed so that the strip may be fed at a constant, predetermined rate, regardless whether the spool is full, partly unwound or almost completely unwound, as the diameter of the spool does not atfect the rate of feed of the strip.

It is another object to provide in such a device, means whereby it may be quickly and easily rendered inoperative during those periods when its use is not necessary; This is accomplished by simple manipulation of a readily accessible lever.

It is a further object to provide an apparatus 'of this nature which is self contained and therefore readily attachable or removable from a sewing machine table. To accomplish this the device has been incorporated in a novel unitary housing which serves both as a mounting for and to conceal the operating mechanism. Such a housing eliminates the possibilities of damage to the work or to the operator by keeping the gears and other operating parts from being exposed.

Other objects have been to provide modifications of the basic structure which can be readily motorized so that the device may be made independent of the drive of the sewing machine where this is an advantage or a necessity, as, for example, where the belt drive is concealed or inaccessible. In such modifications a sensing means is provided to control the feed so that it will be proportioned to the demand forstrip material as the sewing machine is operated. One such version utilizes a continuously operating motor with switching means to energize a solenoid which engages the clutch means in accordance with the demand for strip material as the sewing machine operates, and another version utilizes an intermit-tently operated motor whichis switched on and off in accordance with the demand for strip material. In this latter version, the clutch means is manually operable.

Other objects and advantages will in part appear and in part be obvious from thefollowing description of the presently preferred embodiment and the modifications thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the strip material puller mounted on a sewing machine table adjacent to 4 and in operating relationship with a conventional stand ard type sewing machine having a belt drive, the latter being utilized .to drive the puller;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the strip puller;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation corresponding to Fig. 1, the housing being broken away to show portions of the operating mechanism in detail, sections being taken on lines 3-3 and 3'--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2, partly in section with a portion of the housing broken away to show the disconnecting linkage in detail;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view looking at the back of the puller taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing the clutch means and the variable speed change means; 7

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modification which has been motorized and in which the motor is operated continuously, and in which the demand sensing means operates a switch which causes a solenoid to be energized to engage the clutch means in accordance with demand for strip material as determined by the sensing means;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation corresponding to Fig. 6

Patented July 10, 1956 a ran e mechanism is mounted and concealed sepshowing 'the demand sens ir ig means, the switch, the solenoid, and the operating connection with the lever controlling engagement of the clutch members;

. fig s a ron e v on of furt odifisa iq s "e bb ii fig nerality a F Zb i in wrichth' tn is, operated intermittently, the clutch i -ri s ea ein iiianii'ally eperaete, jarid in which the 'sens1ng iiieans ope ate a switch which causes thefriiotor to become energized .tofdr'ive the puller in proportion mdemaaarer stripjmaterialas deteriiiinetiby thesensing'me'ans;

Fig. 9 is a sc'lrl'e'matic "diagram showing the. electrical circuit for the version illustratedin Figs. ,6 and 7; V Fig. 101s a sin iilar sehe'manedis r'mn for'th'eversion iIIu stIated inFigJS. v Y p 6 Referring now to the "drawings, the puller consists generally of pair offeoope'rating" rollers '23' mounted on apfairfof drive shafts 24, 2 .i a'r l'y eetieenea withmaad s tably journalled in housing 10, which are mounted in operating relationshipga gear reduction train 35 clutch 'meansl"45, 50, and a variable speed change 'h 151J6E64- R l s 12. re adjustable na d siredifiited position 'along'shafts 24, 2'5 by nie'ans of set screws. Housing ltlhas a main head portion 1 ope i ara ted'by fwall1 2 from elongated neck portion lfl which is closedoff at one end Main head portion l l is divided by wants him two compartments, one of which 18, serves as agear box for the reduction gear train 35 and the other 19,fas an enclosurac ompleted by a piv ot'ally mounted end casting 53, within which are mounted and concealed the elutchni eans and thevariable speed change means. The lower ends of walls 12 and 16 are sealed by means of a gasket and plate 21 and thus cornpartment 18 may also serveas an oil reservoir in which the reduction gear train 35 may operate, lubricant being introduced throughoil port 22 in the top of head'll.

'I0p shaft 24 isjournalled in housing 10, one bearing being in wall 15,. another in wall 12, and a third in wall L w haftZS isal o i u nalle i wa 1 .Adi si t w ll liw hi nec haft 5 s iou n le n? re i ntly want b a blocklt suppo e fr m et}; 4 tw iha nbs ewsl7 pa sin gh un erbcredr es 2.8. e la nd t a e in b k .26- Compres io sp in s .2 .are e ined in recesses 2 aboutscrews 21 and between 'thebottom of the counterb.ot d. ashe sfil undertheiheads .31 o s rews 2 Ashe s 3. ...ar Iman pu1ated tensi n ensp 291$ afiected resulting jn ,either raising or lowering shaft 25 with respect to shaft 24, thereby. either bringing about engagement ,7 or disengagement and any desired degree of pressure of thejrollers 23 on the strip being fed.

Shaft 25 being of relatively long length and, comparativelysmall cross-section, is quite limber or elastic and. herefore can deflect to the extent required as'screw heads 3; are manipulated to adjust the position of block 26. A small amount of clearance about shaft25is' also provided in wall 12 for this same purpose. This allows adjustment for such variables as thickness, stretch" and coefficient of friction occurring in different materials. This arrangement also makes it possible to readily insert the strip between rollers 23 merely by bearing down on the heads 31, thereby depressing block 26 and lowering shaft 25, thus effecting the desired separation of the rollers for insertion of the strip.

Within the compartment 18, gear train 35drives shafts 24, 25 at a selected speed reduction. A' reduction of 9 to l is shown but any other ratio might be employed. This gear train is driven from a friction plate 45 located externally of wall 16 andmounted for free rotation on a reduced section of shaft .25, which is thusjournalled within friction plate 45. Friction plate'45 'has a' contoured hub portion 46 journalled inthe'inneria'ceof a combined thrust and radial 'be'a'ring 47'inserted inwall 16. 'This type of bearing normallyhas" provision to tolerate small amounts of misalignment so that the described deflection of shaft 25 will not prevent rotation thereof due to binding. In commercial practice, the fit of the gears provides enough play so that deflection of shaft 25 does not interfere with proper operation of the device.

Hub 46 has a gear p0rti0n36 which meshes with compound gear 38 freely mounted on a reduced section of shaft 24. The small gear section 39 of gear 33 in turn meshes with gear 40 which is 'fast on shaft 25. A drive gear 41 fast on shaft 25 in turn meshes with a similar gear 42 on shaft 24,"thereby assuring that both rollers 23 are rotated.

Friction plate 45 is 'driven'by afric tion wheel or gear 50 in engagement with face 48 the'speed of rotation of plate 45 being determined by the radial position of friction wheel 50 on face 46. By shifting friction wheel radially from center to the outer periphery of face 48, any desired feed'ratio'f'rom"'zero to the'to'p speed obtainable through thegear reduction train "35 is' available. If-friction wheel Silis disengagedfromthe face' ls'offriction plate'4'5, rollers '23'will be inoperative.

End casting "53 which'is rreeiymenmed on shaft51 in compartment 19 "so that it'inay rock away from friction plate 45, carries the friction wheel 50 and means to shift it'l'aterally'to varythefeed ratioof'the'puller. End casting '53 is provided'with bearingbosses 5 4 and 55 in which drive'shaftb "is journalled. Pulley 5B which engages thebelt of the sewing machine is mounted on the eiternal end' of shaft 56.

Shaft 56 is provided with a longitudinal slot or keyway 59. A roller'60is freely'inounted on shaft 56 and providedwith'a matingpin or key'61 to fit the slot 59. Roller .60 may therefor be shifted longitudinally along shaft 56 'as it rotates'with it.

"Roller'60 carries friction wheel 50 fast upon it and is provided with a peripheral slot 62 which receives the yoke 65 of an arm 64. Arm 64 has a hub portion 66 internally threaded for lateral movement along a mating thread on shaft 51.

'Shaft 51 is suitably journalled in head 11, oneend being provided with a knob 52 by which it may be turned. As arm 64 is held-from turning by engagement of yoke 65 with roller 60 on shaft 56, manipulation of knob 52 will cause arm'64 to shift laterally'along shaft 51. In turn roller 60 will shift longitudinally along shaft 56, changing the position of friction wheel 50 radially along face 46, thus providing the variable speed ratio-mentioned. Friction wheel 50 is preferably a long wearing, oil resistant material such as some of the synthetic rubbers or fleitible plastics. I v I Manipulation-of hand lever 79 will disengage friction wheel 50 from face 48. Lever 70 has a shaft portion which is journalled inthe side Wall ofhousing 10, at-

tached to which at a suitable offset angle is a bar 71. A rod 72 connects bar 71 and the end casting 53, the portion passing therethrough being threaded for a thumbnut 73, which mounts thereon and is separated from the back wall of end casting 53 by a washer 74. A compression spring 75 is held betweenthe inner wall of end casting 53 and a washer 7 6 held in position 'on rod 72 as for example by a cotter pin 77.

Adjustment of thumbnut 73 afiects the tension of spring 75 and thus changes the contact pressure of the clutch members when engaged; thereby allowing takeup for-wear and for optimum" engagement .of-the clutch members.

'This arrangement also provides a rapid and positive means of disengagement of-the clutchmembers. When the clutch members are disengaged, rod 72'and associated parts are in therelative positionsshownin-broken line in Fig.5. At such time, rod 72-is' dis'posed perpendicularly to the inside wall of end casting 53' and-spring 75 lies concentrically about rod 72, without any disto'rtion. When lever Wis-moved tothe clutch engaging'p'osition shown-in solid-line in'Figk s ept-mg 75' undergoes an'additional compression as rod 72 shifts its position'so that it no longer lies perpendicular to the inside wall of end casting 53, thereby distorting and compressing spring 75 between said wall and washer 76. When lever 70 is then thrown to the position shown in broken line, the energy thus stored in spring 75 causes end casting 53 to snap away, thereby effectively separating the clutch members. End casting 53 may be held in a locked position in which the clutch members are disengaged by throwing lever 70 to a position 180 degrees from that shown in Fig. 2.

The clutch members are held in position which avoids accidental disengagement when lever 70 is thrown as shown in Fig. 2, because bar 71 is then disposed so that connecting rod 72 lies below and beyond the center of rotation of lever 70, which locks lever 70 against any but intentional movement.

Connecting rod 72 may be suitably bent so that it will clear the operating mechanism regardless of the position of lever 70.

The puller is mounted on the sewing machine table as shown in Fig. 1 so that pulley 58 can engage the drive belt. When hand lever 70 is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 2, the puller will run only when the machine operates. The machine operator need only adjust the speed of the puller to suit the strip material being applied to the work, and automatically thereafter, enough strip will be pulled from the supply reel to replace that which is consumed in the sewing operation. The amount furnished is independent of the changing diameter of the supply reel and of the frictional resistance of the reel support, as the constant draw exerted by the puller will cause the supply reel to unwind until enough strip is available.

Once set, the speed of the puller rollers need not be varied unless this becomes desirable. It is then simply a matter of manipulating knob 52. This feature is particularly useful when elastic strip is being unwound, as it sometimes is desirable to apply such strip to the work in a stretched state. When the tension on the strip is released after stitching, a gathered or rufiled effect will be produced in the work. By adjusting the puller speed so that the rollers operate slowly enough to provide the required tension, this effect may be readily obtained.

Sometimes sewing machines are so arranged that it is inconvenient to obtain access to the drive belt, in which case it may be of advantage to utilize a motorized version of the puller as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. This version may be conveniently mounted anywhere in the vicinity of the machine arranged so that lever 85 is between feed rolls 23 and the folder of the sewing machine. Accordingly the device shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 would be positioned oppositely to the device shown in Fig. 1.

A small motor 80 mounted on head 11 is provided with a pulley 81 for a belt 82 which drives pulley 58. Such a motor may be operated continuously as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or intermittently as shown in Fig. 8.

Where the motor is operated continuously, means are provided to engage the clutch members as often as re- .quired to keep the strip supply constant. This may con- ;sist of a solenoid 84 mounted on the side wall of housing linked to a modified lever 70' so that when the solenoid is energized from the line by the closing of a switch, the clutch members will become engaged. This condition -is illustrated in Fig. 7 in broken line. The deenergized position of the solenoid armature, lever 70', connecting irod 72 and end casting 53 is shown in solid line.

When the motor is operated intermittently, as shown in Fig. 8, the motor is energized from the line by closing ,a switch. In this arrangement, lever 70 must be thrown -to the position indicated so that the clutch members will be in engagement continuously.

Turning the motor on and off as required will cause -rollers 23 to feed the strip material in accordance with the demand therefor.

In both versions, the rollers 23 are caused to feed by '6 means of a sensing device which determines when feeding is required and which operates the switch which in the first version, causes solenoid to be energized, and in the second version causes the motor to be energized.

This sensing device consists of a lever pivotally mounted on the side of housing 10 and provided with a slot 86 through which the strip may be threaded after it leaves the rollers 23 and on its way to the folder on the sewing machine. A spring 88 as shown in Fig. 7, or an adjustable counterweight 89, as shown in Fig. 8, may be provided to hold lever 85 in such position that end 87 of lever 85 does not operate switch 90. The switches shown are of the normally open circuittype; that of Fig. 8 is of the type which closes the circuit when the leaf spring actuator is allowed to rise.

When suflicient strip material is between the rollers 23 and the folder on the machine, lever 85 will be in the raised position shown, and the switch 90 will be open and no current will flow. As soon as the strip tightens between the folder and the rollers 23, lever 85 willbe drawn downwardly, at which time its end 87 will operate switch 90, allowing current to flow, and thereby causing the puller to operate.

The simple electrical circuitry required is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10.

The invention therefor provides a versatile apparatus which will automatically provide a suflicient supply of strip material to the operator of a sewing machine in accordance with the consumption thereof.

While the presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of explanation and illustration, it is to be understood that the-invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement shown and described, but is to be construed broadly within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In Web feeding apparatus for drawing strip material to the stitching mechanism of a sewing machine, a housing adapted to be mounted adjacent the sewing machine, a friction plate mounted within said housing, a member pivotally mounted in one end of said housing, a friction wheel drive shaft journalled in said member, drive means for operating said shaft, a friction wheel carried by said drive shaft, and means to rock said member about its axis to cause said friction wheel to come into operating contact with and to drive said friction plate.

2. In web feeding apparatus for drawing strip material to the stitching mechanism of a sewing machine, a housing adapted to be mounted adjacent the sewing machine, said housing having a main portion separated by a bearing wall from an elongated neck portion, said main portion being divided by a second bearing wall into a compartment adapted to act as an oil reservoir in which a gear train may operate and an enclosure for cooperating clutch members, a friction plate mounted within said enclosure portion of the housing, a member pivotally mounted in the enclosure portion of said housing, a friction wheel drive shaft journalled in said member, drive means for operating said shaft, a friction wheel carried by said drive shaft, and means to rock said member about its axis to cause said friction wheel to come into operating contact with and to drive said friction plate.

3. In web feeding apparatus for drawing strip material to the stitching mechanism of a sewing machine, a housing adapted to be mounted adjacent the sewing machine, a friction plate mounted within said housing, said friction plate having a hub, said hub being adapted to be seated in a bearing mounted in a wall of said housing and to pass therethrough, the portion of said hub passing therethrough being provided with gear teeth adapted to engage a mating gear train mounted within said housing, a member pivotally mounted in one end of said housing, a friction wheel drive shaft journalled in said member, drive means for operating said shaft, a friction wheel carried by saidsdrive shaft, and means to .rockisaidl-membe: about =5its .axis to cause :said friction wheel to :come into operatingicontact with "and-to drive said wfriction plate.

4.-;In Web feeding apparatus for drawing strip material loathe :stitching mechanism .of a sewing machine, a housingadapted to :be mounted adjacent the sewing machine, a friction plate mounted within said housing, a threaded shaft mounted in-one-end of said housing havingaportion manipulatable externally of the housing'a membervpivotally mounted on said threaded shaft, a-friction wheel drive shaft journalled in said member, a-friction wheel mounted on said drive shaft adapted to rotate therewith and to be shifted longitudinally :along said shaft, means to shift saidfriction'wheel laterally including said threaded shaft, an arm carried thereby engaging with and adapted to shift said friction wheel when the-threaded shaft is manipulated, and means to rocksaid member about said threaded shaft to cause said friction wheelto-come 'into'contact with and to drive said friction plate.

"5. 1m 'web feeding apparatus for drawing strip material to the stitching mechanism of a sewing machine, a honsing, frictiongear members mounted in said housing, drive means for said friction gear members including-amember pivotally mounted in one end of said housing carrying one of said friction gear members and rockabie to bring said gear members into operating engagement, means to'rock said member to bring about operating engagement of said gear members and to lock them in suchoperating position including a lever having a shaftportion journalled in said housing, asecond lever carried by said shaft, a rod connecting said second lever and the rockable member, said second lever and '8 said rodibeingarranged. so that when said,iever:1is:-thr own into zsaid -locking position, said :rQd lies beyond an e low thecenter of rotationofgsaidylever.

.6. Apparatus accordingto claim'5in whichthemea to locksaid friction-membersinto operating engagement also includesmeans to causesaid members to snap out ofengagement when said lever is thrown to a disconnectingposition, said means comprising a resilient membermounted for compression onsaid connecting rqd;,b y the 'rockable member when the first lever is thrown to the locking position, thereby storing sufiicient energy to cause said rockable. member to rotate ;to vbringabout disengagementof the ,gear members when the first lever is moved from the locking position.

7. Apparatus .according .toclaim 6 together with means to vary the amount of compression whichsaid resilient member may sustainwhen the friction gear members are locked in engagement.

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